Restaurants

Before visiting New York, I did a fair amount of research and asking around for recommendations. I knew there would be a lot of vegan options but it’s hard to comprehend just how many there are. BabyCakes NYC was one of the places I’d heard a lot of mixed reviews about. Despite what you hear, there are some places you just have to try for yourself. For me, this was one of them. BabyCakes may be well known for their cute cupcakes with that signature icing swirl, but I found something I liked even more.

Our first day in New York was a long one. We walked around for more than six hours, taking time to play with the iPad at the Apple store, explore theUnion Square Farmers Market and Whole Foods, wonder around Soho, grab a treat at BabyCakes NYC and check out the footwear and accessories atMooShoes. After all this, we still found the energy to walkacross the Williamsburg bridge to Foodswings. We ended up eating there because it was close to a pub where we were meeting a friend. Regardless of its location, we probably would have ended up there anyway. Several people recommended we pay them a visit to try their popular buffalo drumbsticks.

Where do John and I live? For the moment, London, England in a posh flat with a friend we met in Bolivia. Yesterday, it was a converted water tower in Leiston, England, a small town two hours northeast of London. It’s taken me awhile to get used to this concept, that home is where I am today. It’s been four months but it’s finally starting to sink in. My thinking on this subject was sparked by Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros. They have a song called Home. Have a listen, it’s pretty magical.

This post was written by Sarah, author of the The Ordinary Vegetarian blog. Sarah recently visited India and was kind enough to write a guest post about her vegan eating adventures in the city of Darjeeling. Be sure to check out her blog for a vegan momo recipe.

When I told friends and family that one of my stops on my India trip was going to be Darjeeling, a common response was, “Darjeeling?.. Like the tea?” Yep, like the tea! Darjeeling’s namesake tea is what they are best known for, but they have much more to offer.

For the last few years, I’ve managed to visit Toronto, Ontario at least two or three times per year. I’ll jump at almost any chance to go, knowing I can see family and eat at some of the city’s great vegan and vegetarian restaurants. There are a lot of restaurants to choose from but I always find myself returning to the same places again, and again. This time, I wanted to scope out somewhere new. I decided on Hibiscus, a small restaurant in the Kensington market. Their menu is vegetarian with lots of vegan and gluten free options. Their primary offerings are daily salad and soup specials, as well as crepes and baked goodies. I don’t understand how they have been around for four years and I’m just discovering them now. I was totally missing out!

We’re back from South America! We’ve had a few days to enjoy all of the luxuries of Canada but are just about to repack our bags and continue our travels. Next stop is New York City. We are there for a week before we fly off to Dublin, Ireland. It’s been great to catch up with family and friends. As we’ve shared our stories, we’ve noticed the same questions keep coming up, “Which country was your favourite? Which city? Where would you recommend?” For the most part, no one, except our vegan friends, is very interested in what we ate. But this is a vegan food blog and we’re hoping our readers are. That’s why we’ve put together a list of our favourite vegan restaurant meals in South America.

I like airports. If I’m in an airport, it means I’m going somewhere. I like going places. I also like airport food. Whenever I’m in a new airport, I check out all of the little stores and restaurants, searching for vegan options. Even if I’m not hungry or have no money to spend, I just like to see what’s available. When I find something vegan, especially something cool that’s vegan, I get so excited. Beyond vegetable sushi, cheeseless pizza and Starbuck’s soy lattes, I’ve found Alternative Banking Company cookies (San Fransisco) and NuGo Bars (Miami).

Our time in Lima, Peru was limited. We only had three days and two nights in the city. With our travel funds for the month running low, we decided to only eat at one restaurant. We didn’t take this choice lightly. For advice, we turned to the trusty internet and read some reviews. After eating at AlmaZen, I can tell you it’s no surprise they’re the fan favourite in Lima. Thanks to them, our last restaurant meal in South America was the best yet

We were one of the first groups to see Machu Picchu after it reopened to the public at the beginning of April. It had been closed since January due to floods that wiped out the train link from Cusco. We were lucky our South America backpacking route ended in Peru, leaving us with just enough time to see the ancient mountaintop city.

It was really hard to leave Cusco, Peru. We’d got into a daily routine, found our favourite lunch spots, were taking classes at a great yoga studio, and making new friends. Lunch was often a highlight of the day. John would take a break from work and we’d meet up with friends for a chat and enjoy some delicious food. We usually found ourselves choosing between two nearby options: Comedor Vegetariano or Prasada, a small vegetarian takeout joint with yummy food, low prices and friendly staff.

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